Mario Livio: Hello? Anybody Out There?
20 May - 40 minsThe recent discovery on a distant planet of a chemical that could be a sign of life has this astrophysicist intrigued if not convinced. But if it turns out to be real it would mean that not only are we not alone – “It would really mean that our Galaxy is teeming with life.”
Series Episodes
Tina Fey: The Return of The Four Seasons
Tina Fey’s reimagining of a movie Alan made over 40 years ago has been a big hit for Netflix. She and Alan have fun talking about how she went about updating the story for a new generation.
39 mins
15 July Finished
If Robots Had a Podcast
Alan lets bots mostly run the show to see how much they can do and still be under human control. For a while, it seems to go well, but then dangers start to emerge— and it gets a little scary.
31 mins
8 July Finished
Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda: Season 30 Trailer
Alan and Clear and Vivid’s executive producer Graham Chedd chat about and play clips from some of the shows coming up in season 30. Guests include actor Bob Odenkirk, scuba diver Tara Roberts, and some AI chatbots.
28 mins
1 July Finished
Carly Anne York: Taking “Silly Science” Seriously
Research often derided for being a waste of money has led to world-changing breakthroughs, ranging from GPS to Ozempic.
41 mins
24 June Finished
Paul McCartney: Dreams, Dickens… and Oobleys
To celebrate Sir Paul’s 83rd birthday June 18th we are reprising a wonderful conversation recorded five years ago. Alan and Paul exchange their experiences writing and performing; and McCartney demonstrates how some of the Beatles’ greatest hits began with what he calls “oobley” chords on the piano.
1 hour 2 mins
17 June Finished
Itzhak Perlman: Encore! Encore!
Reaching back to the first season of Clear and Vivid, a replay of the July 2018 episode when the violin virtuoso tells Alan why he likes to talk to his audience as well as play for them; why he plays Bach very differently from Tchaikovsky; and why the first time he played the Stradivarius that was to become his 30 years later, “I thought that I'd died and went to heaven.”
46 mins
10 June Finished
